New private rocket launches to space station

September 18, 2013|By Mark K. Matthews, Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — A U.S. spacecraft carrying about 1,300 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station reached orbit Wednesday morning after a trouble-free launch — marking the start of a new chapter in NASA's effort to outsource routine missions to the private sector.

The two-stage Antares rocket built by Orbital Sciences of Virginia blasted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 10:58 a.m. carrying a cargo capsule expected to rendezvous with the station Sunday. Less than an hour after liftoff, the Cygnus spacecraft deployed its solar arrays — an indication the launch went well.

"Today marks a milestone in our new era of exploration as we expand the capability for making cargo launches to the International Space Station from American shores," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

The capsule, also developed by Orbital Sciences, will perform a series of tests in its four-day journey to the station, about 230 miles above Earth. When it gets close enough, astronauts will snag the 17-foot capsule with a robotic arm and reel it in.

On board are supplies, such as food and clothing, for the station crew. Only three astronauts now are staffing the observatory — half the usual crew size. Three more astronauts are expected to arrive later this month with the planned launch of a Russian spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Unlike some other spacecraft, Cygnus isn't designed to return to Earth. Plans call for Cygnus to remain at the station for more than a month. After being filled with trash, it will detach and burn up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean.

The successful launch of Antares and Cygnus is critical to NASA's long-range plans to supply the station. Orbital is one of two U.S. companies given contracts by NASA to build spacecraft capable of ferrying cargo to the orbiting platform.

The first, SpaceX of California, made history last year as the first commercial company to deliver supplies for the station crew. Orbital is trying to repeat the feat.

Since NASA retired the space shuttle in 2011, it has been forced to rely on others to deliver crew and cargo to the $100 billion observatory. Russia remains the only nation trusted to ferry U.S. astronauts to the station — but NASA is counting on U.S. companies to ultimately fill that gap.

SpaceX now is operating under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for 12 cargo-resupply missions; the third of these will fly in a few months. A successful mission by Orbital Sciences will set the stage for the company to begin its eight-flight, $1.9 billion contract.

"There is clearly still a lot of work in front of us, but the mission looks like it is off to a great start," said David Thompson, Orbital's president and CEO.

The Antares flight was the second major U.S. launch Wednesday. At 4:10 a.m., an Atlas V rocket flew from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a communications payload for the Air Force.